Tips for theme writing Helping students write successfully since 2015 (hopefully)

General

Choose a theme that:• You KNOW you understand and can write about• You can find clear and specific examples from the book for support• 3 quotes are needed

• Will allow you to choose a variety of different examples (at least 3)

• On the following slides I will give you tips on how to write for and clearly explain each theme.• This information is on my website if needed.

Materialism Corrupts and Destroys

For each paragraph:• Show the materialism, greed, or want of something• Be specific• Who wants what and why

• Show how this materialism has corrupted or destroyed this person• So what are they (the one that wants) doing that is bad or wrong

Love can give someone great courage and strengthFor each paragraph• Show/explain the love• Who loves what (or whom)?

• Then show/explain how the LOVE has brought this person courage and strengthen• Be sure to clearly explain why the event/action is courageous or needs

strength

• DON’T JUST PICK AND EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE BEING COURAGEOUS OR STRONG. YOU NEED THE LOVE PART.

Creatures naturally prey on those who are weaker than them.For each paragraph• Be clear on who/what is “preying” on something else• Be direct• Explain how one is weaker and one is stronger•What makes them weak?•What makes the other strong

Knowledge is a power but a power that can be abusedFor each paragraph• Show who has the knowledge•What knowledge do they have?

• Then show how they are abusing this knowledge• How is it being used in the wrong way? (usually a very

negative way)

A dream is good until it begins to destroy other things of value in a person’s life• This one is a little different.•Usually the person with the dream is the one that gets

things destroyed in their life.•Also, usually people choose one dream for the entire

paper and then give 3 examples of how that dream ruined things• See next slide for paragraph tips

A dream is good until it begins to destroy other things of value in a person’s life (cont’)• 1st body paragraph• Describe the dream • Then go into one way that dream destroyed something

• 2nd body paragraph• Possibly BRIEFLY mention the dream again• Give another way that dream destroyed something

• 3rd body paragraph• Possibly BRIEFLY mention the dream again• Give another way that dream destroyed something

There are more illusions than reality in life.For each paragraph• Be clear about what the illusion is• Feel free to use the word “illusion”• Be specific

• Then explain what the reality is• Feel free to use the word “reality”• “However” can be a good word to use at times

• This theme is usually one of the hardest ones to write about

QUOTES

• You will need 3 quotes (1 per body paragraph)• Choose quotes that PROVE don’t just summarize• You should be able to explain HOW your quote proves the theme you have

chosen• If you can’t explain this, then choose a different quote

• Think about your dialectical journal• Quote analysis is basically answering “why is this quote important?”• Now we are just focusing our analysis on the theme• Now we are asking “why/how does this quote prove your theme?”